The Lattari
mountains are described in additional detail at this link, but basically they are
the spur of the Apennines that stick out into the
Tyrrhenian Sea to form the Sorrentine peninsula (image
right), dividing the gulf of Naples (top) from the gulf of
Salerno (bottom). The mass of the Lattaris is about 35 km
(20 miles) long, pointing directly at the island of Capri
and only about nine km (5+ miles) wide at the base of the
bulge, where the hills rise out of the Vesuvian plain.
That pass behind the Lattari bulge runs from Pompei to
Salerno (port visible far right) and is one of the most
storied invasion routes in history. Geology has folded the
hills above the Amalfi coast, pleating them like an
accordion, to produce a remarkable series of valleys
running down to the sea. One of them runs right into
Amalfi (yellow dot in image).

Coming
down on AmalfiSo the hardest and
loveliest way to get to Amalfi is to come in and up from
the invasion route: just a short distance from Pompeii
along the A3 autostrada, turn off and up as if going to
Ravello (also in that yellow dot). It's a short steep
climb up to the top and then it's all downhill; turn
towards Ravello and then to Scala, a small town across the
valley from Ravello. Part of Scala is called Minuta. A
trail starts there that leads steeply up to a ridge (the
edge of one of those accordion pleats!) and over and down
along the Valle delle Ferriere (lit. Valley of the
Iron Foundries—don't worry, Mother Nature has reclaimed
it). You will pass through a Nature Preserve (455
hectares/1100 acres) part of the overall Lattari Mountains
Regional Park, streams, chestnut groves, medieval
churches, and relics of the iron works that served the
Republic of Amalfi 1000 years ago by supplying nails for
the ships (Amalfi was one of the four Italian maritime
republics). The
valley is also known as the Valley of Mills after the
water-powered mills that once produced the paper that
Amalfi was famous for. You'll even pass a long “window
wall” (pictured right) where paper was hung to dry. All
the while, you are descending on Amalfi from the hillside.
You'll know it when you get there. You'll see a lot of
people who took the easy way.

There are a few alternatives to this route: about halfway
down, you'll pass through a populated center called
Pontone. You could have started there without worrying
about invading the mountain range from the rear because
you can actually get a bus to Pontone, get off there and
continue down on foot, having avoided the climb over the
ridge higher up and the upper part of the trail. You can
also get a bus from the bottom back up to Scala or
Pontone. But then you miss a lot of exercise. If you crave
the pounding in your chest that says you're crazy, note
the stairway at Pontone. It goes directly down to Amalfi,
only 2000 (!) steps away. Don't do that. Keep to the trail
and enjoy the hike down. You can, however, walk back up
the stairs.